My Diary

In view of the current environmental changes, a local home temple stand by the name of Bak Hai Sia 北海社 held its annual celebration during the feast day of The Dragon King of Four Sea 四海龍王 . A temporary tentage was set up in a crowded housing estate within the vicinity of Bedok. Beside the thanksgiving rituals conducted by taoist priests, the temple organisers   have included a ritual of Mitigating Risk Ceremony for the purpose of guiding their faithful devotees safe from future endeavour. There are many types of taoist ritual can be conducted at temple celebrations. A complete ritual will include both “ yang ” ritual 陽醮 and “ yin ” ritual 陰   醮 . A minimum period of 3 full days pre-requisite in order for the complete ritual to be taken place.     To name some of the rituals performed such as Prayers to the Dipper 禮斗 for blessing of longevity and good health. Repentance rituals 拜懺   will be conducted during   temple celebrations to seek the heavenly deities forgiving our

During my last visit to the home town of mainland China, I have an opportunity to meet and to conduct a funeral ceremony for a deceased who the family members are born after the 1980s. The bereaved family members are staying in a modern apartment and the ceremony is held at the downstair with approximately a car space like pathway. The bereaved family members believe that ancestor worship is a religious practice. The act is a way to respect and to provide for a deceased welfare in the afterlife, which is envisioned as being similar to the earthly life. Rituals are performed to transmute and absolve the sufferings of a deceased. Taoist priests are required to perform a repent prayer so as to offer a deceased the quest for spiritual enlightenment. However, the bereaved family members did not agree that to engage a group of musicians to make lavish noise while transporting a deceased body to the crematorium so as to chase away evil or negative influence. At most, they call it a sh

Lunar 7th Month Festival to any Chinese descendant used to be an annual event for ancestors’ worship. But, my new neighbour who was shifted last month seem to be busy than usual. They were originally migrated from mainland China and being told by their acquaintance that to offer joss papers every day for wandering spirits during that month. Its good to follow the tradition for 7th month prayers. However, it is also fundamentally for people to know the meaning and purpose rather than to follow blindly. In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Zhong Yuan Festival 中元節 and the whole of seventh month is also commonly known as the Ghost Month, in which ghosts and wandering spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, revisit a cosmopolitan world from the lower realm. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths. Activit

Ancestor worship is based on the belief that the bereaved family members of a deceased have a continued existence and possess the ability to influence the fortune of the living. Early forms of ancestor worship were deeply rooted and extensively developed by the Late Neolithic Period in China. With the teaching of Confucianism and Taoism, religious traditions such as ancestor worship are becoming part and parcel of the daily activity of our Chinese descendant. The goal of ancestor worship is to ensure the ancestors' continued well-being in the netherworld and sometimes to ask for special favour or assistance. The social function of ancestor worship is to cultivate kinship values like filial piety, family loyalty, and continuity of the family lineage. Rituals of ancestor worship commonly consist of offerings to a deceased and to provide for its welfare in the afterlife, which is envisioned as being similar to the earthly life. Ancestor worship begins at a deceased kin's f

Held at Dewan Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang in Penang, the first of its kind was organised by Lean Wah Thong Chinese Temple in conjunction with 115th Anniversary temple celebration during the feast festival of Tai Shang Lao Jun, the founder of Taoism. A total of six countries taoist priests and residents from Penang attended the forum. The title of the forum “和谐社会，道在人心”according to a speaker from Malaysia, Professor Yan exlained that every human being has an ego. If we could balance our ego with the Great Dao, the people may maintain peace and harmony without mundane knowledge and desires. Master Cheng from Malaysia asked the audiences to shake hand with each other. He has observed that many people smiles and shown their friendliness to each other during the hand shake. This is a positive gesture that coincide with the taoist belief “万物负阴而抱阳”. During the hand shake, our inner palm which represent the 'yang' or positive energy closet to each other. On the other hand,

Ancestor worship is a religious practice based on the belief that bereaved family members have their continued existence. The act is a way to respect and to provide for the deceased welfare in the afterlife, which is envisioned as being similar to the earthly life. Being an important aspect of the Chinese tradition and practise, the social function of ancestor worship is therefore to cultivate kinship values like filial piety, family loyalty and continuity of the family lineage. Ancestor worship is a family affair, it is held at home, ancestral temple and consists of offering joss stick, serving as communication and greetings to the deceased, prayers and offering items before tablet. Rituals are performed to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Taoist ceremony for passed on formed part of ancestor worship which bereaved family members of the deceased would engage the service of taoist priest for prayers and acts of penance for the dead so as to offer the deceased a q